Čížečku, čížečku

Čížečku, čížečku ("Siskin, o Little Siskin") is a traditional Czech children's folk song and a singing game which was performed in the past as an annual custom supposed to enhance the yield of poppy.

The song is a chain of verses of the same pattern of call and response:

Call: "Siskin, o little Siskin, a little birdie, Tell me o Siskin how the poppy is sown" Response: This is how the poppies are sowed (repeated, with variations)

In Czech language:

Čížečku, čížečku, ptáčku maličký, pověz mi čížečku, jak sejou mák?

The call/response are repeated, with the verb "sown" being replaced with other events with the poppies: "grows", "blossoms", "is harvested", "is milled" (option: "crushed"), "is eaten". With every response the children are supposed to show a pantomime how exactly the poppy is sowed, grows,..., eaten.

It may also be arranged in the form of a dance.